Signors



No. 606,732. Patented July 5, I898. A. G. NOACK &. L. S. GROSSMAN.

HYDRAULIC AIR COMPRESSOR.

(Application filed Dec. 24, 1896,) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

WITNESSES:

No. 606,732. v Patented July 5, I898. A. G. NOACK &. L. S. GRUSSMAN.

HYDRAULIC AIR COMPRESSOR.

(Application filed Dec. 24, 1896.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.-

& mu"

M l W WITNESS-E8 //v 1/54 7005 Mzza ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PAT NT Orrrcn..

ADOLPH G. NOAOK AND LORENZ S. GROSSMAN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, AS-

SIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO OLEMENT L. V. EVANS, TRUSTEE, OF THEBERNER-MAYER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

HYDRAULIC AIR-COM PRESSOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 606,732, dated July 5,1898.

Application filed December 24, 1896. Serial No. 616,839. (No model.)

T w i m y r end of the valve-chamber is open and is a Beitknown thatwe',AD 0LPH G. NOACK and short distance above the base of the valve-LORENZ S. GROSSMAN, citizens of the United casing, so as to form awater-outlet port, States, and residents of Cleveland, county which iscontrolled by the main controlling of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, haveinvalve and which communicates with the vented certain new and usefulImprovements waste-port 11, through which the water-outin Hydraulic Air-Compressors, of which the let communicates with the cylinder, throughfollowing is a specification, the principle of the bottom of the same. Aport 12 extends the invention being therein explained and from the upperend of the piston-chamber to IO the best mode in which wehavecontemplated near the lower end of a primary-valve cham- 6o applyingthat principle,so as to distinguish ber 13, which has a valve-seat 14 atits lower it from other inventions. end, which connects with thewater-outlet The annexed drawings and the following through a port 15. Avalve 16 has an actudescription' set forth in detail onemechanating-piston 17, which reciprocates within the r 5 ical formembodying the invention, such deactuating-piston chamb'er,and hasapiston 18 tail construction being but one of various meat its lower endwhich reciprocates within chanical forms in which the principle of thethe valve-chamber. The water-inlet opens invention may be used. into thelower end of the actuating-piston In said annexed drawings, Figure Ireprechamber. The stem of the valvehas an axial 2o sents a verticalsection of our improved hybore 19, which extends out through one sidedraulic air-compressor; Fig. II, an enlarged of the same into acircumferential groove or vertical section of the valve mechanism of therecess 20, which is covered by a sleeve 21, same, illustrating the maincontrolling-valve which secures the packing of the actuating in positionfor exhausting the water out of valve-piston. Said sleeve has a nipple22,

2 5 the cylinder; Fig. III, a similar section illusprovided with astrainer 23, which nipple trating the main controlling-valve in positioncommunicates with the axial bore, so that wafor admitting water into thecylinder, and ter may pass through said strainer, nipple, Fig. IV a planview of the base of the comand bore into the upper end of theactuatingpressor. piston chamber. The valve 18 has a seat 30 Theair-compressor has a cylinder 1, a base against the base of the pump andwill when 2, and a top 3. The cylinder is preferably of in its lowerposition close the outlet-port of glass, although it may be made of anysuitthe valve-chamber and will cover the waterable material. The base isformed with a outlet. A valve 24; has a seat at the lower water-inlet 4,which may be connected to a end of the primary-valve chamber 13 and has3 5 water-service pipe or other source of water sufficient play, besidesbeing of a less diameunder pressure, and with a water-outlet 5, ter thanthe said valve-chamber, to admit of which may be suitably connectedto awastethe port 25 0f the passage 12 to connect with pipe.Avalve-casing6is secured to the base the passage out through the bottomof the within the cylinder and has an actuating-pisprimary-valvechamber. Thevalve 18 has a 0 ton chamber 7 and a valve-chamber 8, saidstem 25, which slides in a packing-box at the valve-chamber beingarranged below the pistop of the valve-chamber. A lever 27 isfulton-chamber and in axial alinement with the crumed at one end uponthe valve-casing and same and being of a smaller diameter than hasaslot28,throughwhichthe primary-valve said piston-chamber. The water-inlet isconstem projects. Said stem is provided with 45 nected to the lower endof the piston-chamtwo shoulders 29 or any other similar style of 5 herby a water-passage 9, and the valveshoulders, so that the valvestem willbe chamber has a series of openings 10, which shifted when the lever iseither raised or lowextend through the walls of the chamber and cred.Theoutcr end of the leveris formed with form a port communicationbetween the an eye 30, through which the lower end of a 50 valve-chamberand the cylinder. The lower rod 81 passes. Said lower end is providedwith an enlargement 32,whieh will engage the eye of the lever and raisethe same when the rod is raised. A float 33 has play upon said rod andmay rise and fall with the water which passes into the cylinder. Theupper end of the rod has a stop or shoulder 3%, which may be engaged bythe float, so that the rod may be raised when the float arrives at theuppermost end of its stroke. The top 3 of the pump has an air-inlet 35,which is controlled by a valve 36, and has also at its center avalveeasing 37, the upper end of which is provided with an air inlet andoutlet 3 controlled by an inlet-valve 39 and an outlet-valve 4.0. Anipple 41 is provided for convenient connection of a tube or whateverother connection may be made between the air-compressor and the placewhere compressed air is required. A piston 42 plays within thevalve-casing 37 and is formed with a cup 43 at its upper end, which hascommunication with an axial bore 'l-lthrough the piston. A spring 45bears against the upper end of said piston, serving to force it down. Avalve 46 has a seat against the lower end of the axial bore it and restsagainst the upper end of the float-rod 81. A yoke -17 extends from theunder side of the piston and has the float-rod passing through it.Stop-sc ews l8 are provided in the valve-casing, so as to stop thepiston at its downward niovemen t,cansed by the spring. The float-rod isprovided with a nut 4.),which may be engaged by the yoke, so that thefloatrod maybe drawn upward when the piston is forced upward.

In practice when the compressor has its water-inlet connected to asource of water under pressure and the waste is suitably connected todischarge the exhaust-water we will, [or the sake of illustration,presume that the parts of the compressor are in the position illustratedin Fig. 1. YVhen the parts are in such position, the water entersthrough the water-inlet into the lower end of the piston-chamber andupper end of the valveehamber and passes through the openings 10 intothe cylinder, raising the lloat. The primary valve is seated against itsseat, being held there by the pressure from above of the inlet-water,andthe inlet-water passes through the passage in the actuating-piston ofthe main controlling-valve, so that the pressure against said pistonwill hold the main valve against its seat, closing the outlet. lVhen thefloat arrives at the uppermost end of its stroke, itwill strike theshoulder St and raise the float-rod. This will cause the upper end ofsaid rod to raise the valve 46 against its seat, so that the water stillrising in the cylinder may force the piston -l2 upward against the forceof the spring. The rising of said piston by the action of the water willcause the yoke of the piston to engage the nut 49, so that the float-rodwill be positively raised. By the arrangement of the piston and valvefor the same at the outlet for air from the cylinder water will beprevented from passing up through the air-outlet valve. Should water, bysome accident or other, pass the valve and rise upward into theair-outlet, the cup of the piston will receive such water, which maythereupon be drawn back into the cylinder through small passages 50,provided in the bottom of the cup. \Vhen the floatrod is raised, theenlargement at the lower end of said rod will engage theprimary-valveeontrolling lever and raise the same, thereby raising theprimary valve. As soon as the primary valve is raised connection is madebetween the upper end of the valve-actuating-piston chamber and thewaste, so that the pressure of the inlet-water from below will raise themain controlling-valve piston and the valve. This will open the outletthrough the base of the cylinder, causing the water to flow out and theiloat to sink with the water. As soon as the float strikes theprimary-valve-controlling lever the primary valve will be seated,closing the outlet from the primary-valve chamber. This will cause theinlet-water to pass through the main controllingvalve-actuating pistonand stem, causing the piston and valve to move downward, closing thewater-outlet. As soon as the water-outlet is closed the water-inlet intothe cylinder is uncovered by the main controlling-valve, and the floatwill again rise.

The air-inlet 35 is provided so as to admit air into the cylinder assoon as the waste for the actuating-water has been opened. If said inletwere not provided, the compressed air at the top of the cylinder mightkeep the airinlet valve 39 closed, so that the water would not exhaust,and no air would come into the pump. A cup shaped guide 5.] is formedupon the top of the valve-easing, and the lower end of the float-rodrests in said guide when the rod is lowered. The guide will prevent therod from being displaced when the compressor is transported from oneplace to another and will retain the rod in its upright position. Thechannel which connects the upper portion of the main controlling-pistonchamber with the primary-valve chamber has a sufficient capacityexceeding the capacity of the passage through the actuating-piston toadmit of water being discharged from the chamber faster than it canenter.

The main controlling-valve is at both extremes of its throw within thevalve-chamber, so that it will at all times be fully and truly guided inits stroke and will not be liable to get out of alinement and to thuseither fail to close the water-ontlet upon its downstroke or to getcaught by the edge of the valvechamber upon its upstroke. As the by-passprovided for the inlet-water through the axial bore in the maincontrolling-valvc-actuating-piston stem permits said actuating-piston tobe packed and to thus snugly fit within its cylindrical chamber thepiston and valve will be perfectly guided in their stroke without dangerof deviating from the axial line and the consequent jamming and stoppingof tive action of the compressor, as the primary the piston and valve,such as is liable to hap- .pen and does happen in similar valvestructures where the controlling-valve is not at all times guided by achamber and where a water by-pass from the opposite sides of theactuating-piston is formed by making such piston of a smaller diameterthan its chamber and thereby rendering it liable to wabble.

As the primary valve is of smaller diameter than the valve-chamber, itis only necessary to raise the valve in the slightest degree to uncoverthe outlet-port and thereby connect the outlet-port from thevalve-controlling-piston chamber. This fact admits of the employment ofthe lever for increasing the slight power of the rising or falling fioatat the extremes of its stroke to overcome the frictional and otherresistance to the movement of the primary valve and its stem. The slightdegree of movement required for the primary valve also insures a verysensivalve may be raised and seated even though the float should not onaccount of back pressure by air decrease in the actuating-water pressureor for other reason fully complete its stroke.

Other modes of applying the principle of our invention may be employedfor the mode herein explained. Change may therefore be made as regardsthe mechanism thus disclosed, provided the principles of constructionset forth respectively in the following claims are employed.

We therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim aso11r,invention 1. In a hydraulic air-compressor, the com bination of anair-and-water chamber provided with a water waste-port in its bottom, amain controlling-valve chamber supported a distance above saidwaste-port to form a water-outlet between its lower edge and thewaste-port and having communication at its upper end with thewater-inlet and having a port in its side communicating with theinterior of the air-and-Water chamber, a main controlling-valve havingplay in said valvechamber and constructed of such length as to remainpartly or entirely within the valvechamber when lowered to close thewateroutlet and cover the waste-port and to uncover the port in the sideof the Valve-chamber or raised to uncover the outlet and Waste-port andto cover the port in the side of the valvechamber, a piston and chamberconnected to actuate said main controlling-valve, and a primary valvecontrolling the water for said piston and chamber and connected to beactuated by the rise and fall of the water in the air-and-water chamber,substantially as set forth.

2. In a hydraulic air-compressor, the combination of an air-and-waterchamber, an actuating-piston chamber having the waterinlet at its lowerend and a water-outlet at its upper end, a main controllingevalvechamber having its upper end open into the bottom of the piston-chamberand having a port in its side opening into the air-and-water chamber andforming a water-outlet at its lower end, a main controlling-valve insaid valvechamber and an actuating-piston provided with a packing andsliding in the pistonchamber and connected to the valve by a stem havinga passage extending through its side and up through the top of thepiston, and a primary valve controlling the outlet from the top of thepiston-chamber and connected to be actuated by the rise and fall ofwater in the air and-Water chamber, substantially as set forth.

3. In a hydraulic air-compressor, the combination of an air-and-waterchamber, a main valve controlling the inlet and outlet of theactuating-water into and out of the chamber, an actuating-piston chamberconnected to the inlet at one end and having an outlet at the other end,an actuating-piston reciprocating in said chamber and connected to themain controlling-valve and provided with a water-passage through it, aprimary-valve chamber having an outlet at its end formed with avalve-seat and having the outlet from the piston-chamber opening intoit, and a primary valve of less diameter than the primary-valve chamberplaying against the valve-seat and connected to be actuated by the riseand fall of water in the air-and-water chamber, substantially as setforth.

4:. In a hydraulic air-compressor, the combination of an air-and-waterchamber, a main valve controlling the inlet and outlet of theactuating-water into and out of the chamber, an actuating-piston chamberconnected to the inlet at one end and having an outlet at the other end,an actuating-piston reciprocating in said chamber and connected to themain controlling-valve and provided with a waterpassage through it, aprimary-valve chamber having an outlet at its end formed with avalve-seat and having the outlet from the pis ton-chamber opening intoit, a primary valve of less diameter than the primary-valve chamberplaying against the valve-seat, a lever fulcrumed at one end and havingmovable connection with the Valve-stem near said end, and a floatconnected to said lever to raise the same at the upper end of itsupstroke and to depress the same at the lower end of its downstroke,substantially asset forth.

5. In a hydraulic air-compressor, the com bination of a valve-actuatinglever, a floatrod and a float upon the same, said rod sliding through anopening in said lever and having a stop'at its end for engaging saidopening, and a cup-shaped guide which registers with the end of saidfloat-rod and receives said stop when the rod is lowered, substantiallyas set forth.

6. In a hydraulic air-compressor, the combination with a float andfloat-rod constructed to actuate the valve mechanism, said rod having astop at its upper end and constructed to be lifted and lowered at thetwo extremities of the stroke of the float, of a valve-casing in the topof the coinpressor-cylinder and having valve-controlled air inlet andoutlet, a piston in said casing and having an axial passage and a yokeupon its under side through which the upper end of the float-rod passesand which engages the stop upon the same, a spring hearing downwardagainst the pistomand an upwardly-closin g valve for the passage throughthe piston and resting against the upper end of the float-rod,substantially as set forth.

7. In a hydraulic air-compressor, the combination with a float andfloat-rod constructed to actuate the valve mechanism, said rod having astop at its upper end and constructed to he lifted and lowered at thetwo extremities of the stroke of the float, of a valve-casing in the topof the compressor-cylinder and having valve-controlled air inlet andoutlet, a piston in said casin g and having an axial passage and a yokeupon its under side through which the upper end of the float-rod passesand which engages the stop upon the same, a spring bearing downwardagainst the piston, an upwardly-closing valve for the passage throughthe piston and resting against the upper end of the float-rod, and anauxiliary air-inlet valve in the top of the cylinder, substantially asset forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing to be our invention we havehereunto set our hands this 12th day of October, A. D. 1800.

ADOLPII G. NOAOK. LORENZ S. GROSSMAN. \Vitnesses:

W n. Sncnnn, E. I. BROWN.

